Merryvale Profile (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2003 Front Label
Merryvale Profile (1.5 Liter Magnum) 2003 Front Label

Winemaker Notes

88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot. Extended maceration on the skins. Native yeast and malolactic fermentation. Quarterly racking during barrel aging. Bottled unfiltered. 18 months in 100% French oak Bordeaux chateau ferre barrels (90% new).

This wine should develop complexity with up to ten years in the bottle and hold for many years after that.

Professional Ratings

  • 93
    Merryvale's Profile has been one of the most reliable Bordeaux blends for a long time, and the '03, which is mainly Cab Sauvignon, is a very fine expression of the house style. A blend of impressive vineyards, it’s opulent in black currant flavors, and is most notable for its softly elegant balance. It's the kind of wine that will dazzle even people who say they don’t like reds. Best now–2011 or so.
Merryvale Vineyards

Merryvale Vineyards

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Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.

Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.

NDF703002_2003 Item# 105782